Certified and uncertified copies

We will supply a copy of a design or design application, upon request and payment of the relevant fee. You can also access the register on-line and get designs information free of charge.

You can request copies as filed, or as registered. Copies of applications which have not yet been registered may only be issued to the applicant or their agent.

  • Certified copies (Certificates of the Registrar) give proof that the United Kingdom Designs Registry has received an application to register or has granted registration of a design, in accordance with the Registered Designs Act and Rules, and that that copy was formally issued by the Intellectual Property Office.
  • Uncertified copies are photocopied documents.

What type of copy do I need?

You must use certified copies:

  • When needed as evidence in a court of law, for example if you are involved in legal action to enforce or defend your design rights.

You may need to use certified copies:

  • When applying for a design abroad and claiming a Priority Date from your earlier UK application.

You can use uncertified copies for your personal reference or research.

Costs and how to pay

  • A Certificate of the Registrar costs £22.
  • A photocopy (uncertified) costs £5 per file copied which includes postage, though we reserve the right to quote for our actual costs where particularly large files are involved.
  • A fee sheet must be filed with all fee bearing forms.

To request a certified copy

  • Use form DF23 PDF document(77Kb) Request for a certified copy.
  • Use a separate form for each design or design application.
  • Send your completed form DF23, FS2 fee sheet and payment to the address below.

To request an uncertified copy

Send us your request

Send your form, fee sheet and fee to:

Intellectual Property Office
Concept House
Cardiff Road
Newport
South Wales
NP10 8QQ
United Kingdom

Note: You must apply to the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market External Link (OHIM) to certify Registered Community Designs.